Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1887-04-03

Kew Birds arc Bred I'm Germany-I
Feathered singing Masters.
Read that" said a down town i'm
porter Of song birds and rare animals.
as be 1asg a sheet Of note payer seross
the counter 10 a New York TribaHs re
psFter, the Other day. The note. written
10 = voman's fee hard, said: MY bird
you sold ese last week is 81 K. What
shall do for it 2 Answer by bearer,
quick"
That question il asked IS bird stores
daily" be continued, "s8d il Just as
easy TO answer it without kH0xing What
ais the bird as IL is for a physician to
prescribe for a di-esse when simply in
formed that the baby Is sick, and Please
to send up some Medicine st once"
Birds have many diseases. bat the
cause OF mos; Of them Is colds, Oeca-
stoned either by hanging a bird in a
drauRht Of air, or keeping hin IN q hot
room during the day (699 is the proper
tsmpeFaturs) and then IN a cold one
trough the niRht-a variation of per-
hays 40S IN "a hours, enough to wear
oot a Thermometer, let alone a canary.
The e9ld, II not cured At once, lesds to
ASTHMA and loss OF voice. Members of
pet song birds, on the other haRd, ar
killed With kindness. Tbey are fed
constantly with sugar, figs. candy,
raisins, cake, etc, instead of having
regular supplies Of seeds only, which
they will eat when they are hungry and
leaye alone when they nave had enough.
Auy bird of ordinary intelligence NAV
b. taught TO ring for his food when
hungry. Suspend bell in a corner Of
his cage and have bim without seed
until be is hungry. Then ring the bell
yourself and giV5 him io3d A few
lepstitions Of this will saa,s b n to dis
cover that whenever the bell rings be
gets food. He viii soon learA to ring
the bell biunself, end If yoa are not
feeding hin unnatural food, which
stimulates an unhealthy appetite, ne
will ring it emily when huuRry.
Birds, ween proper care is taken of
them, ar rarely attacked with disease,
and the hardihoOd Of the canary is al
most marvellous. S veraI hundred
thousands of thess birds are imported
from Europe into this country yearly
Confined 10 small cages. by 1 By s
inches, done up, 400 of them together. il
bales covered with coarse canvas, stow
ed in the dark, close hold of the snip
N this condition they make the long
aud frequently rough passage from
Amsterdam, with al 3 tendaEt 10 feed
snd Va er them once a day; and in
more than 10 cases ont OF a hundred
they arrive As pert aud clipper as when
they started. The business of raising
and importing song birds has assumed
considerable magnitude IN the past five
years. American raise song birds only
tr pleasure, but il Germany, whence
tbs whole world Is supplied, many FAM
lies make II their entire business. A
visit to one of these large breeding
establishments in Germany would DIS
close rooms arranged muoa after the
style OF the sleeping rooms Of an or
d nary hotel. Eaoh OF the rooms 10
p operly furnished with light, ventila-
ton a quaEtity of small trees, feeding
boxes, water for bathing and drinking,
and on the sides of the room a quantity
of nests. The floor is covered With fine
sand to the depth Of three or four
inches. In q single room are placed 20
or more male birds end three times
their number of females Each male
chooses his mate, sometimes tnrse or
four of them; all hatch their young
peacefully and live together. one large
happy family. As soon as the young
birds are fully featheFed the males be-
gin to varble; that is, they iii their
threats ia the same manner as the old
singing bird. and this is the only way
IN which the males N be distinguished
at that age.
The males are then placed in large
cages, say p birds to cage, d kept
10 rooms holding 20 ogRes, until they
are tho ugh moultlsr; for young bifd,
as soon as be is in full feather, begins
10 sized his body feathers. His tail and
sing featnrrs hs sheds the second sea-
son. Tbs process oin-uues about SIX
weeks. after which the birds are taken
aEay from ihe -uand Of all singing
oansries into a room having a small
opening 10 the top In the room above
then IL KEEP a nightingale, skylsrk, or
some other tine vhlstlIng bird. the best
of his species, which acts as in
stTuctor for the yoOnR birds 1t
Is fron this instructor that they
get tho4e beautifHl notes, the bow
trill,' the 'hate,' the bell nste,' the
water note etc, which are 50 mach ad-
mired among lovers OF bird music. At
the age OF m lnths they become adopts |
AZ singing, and are ready for eXports
ton. These Instructors are highly val
1ed, bsqH athed IL wills aod carefall, |
aursed even after old sge bss impaired |
heir powers Tae breeders have sing
ing matches among tie birds. and the
bird that siOgs tue greatest number of
perfect notes within a gwen time gains
he prize. A pei fest note Is represented
BY she syliAoles toll llll-loll chick We
10, and If bud slnrs over them or
tops at 'ehtsA' ~ 'St' the note Is not
" 10 best sissiuR csnaries are knewn
1s 81. Andreasoergs, ffota their district,
snich Is situated % ore Of the highest
iommH- of to- harz range. 10 Ger
many Oae Of tUess birds cosIs ter
-. Those VITO tire Of tie ordinary Sk
lcrs sehing canary ind dsligbtiul q lo-
Is Ia these trained blris, whose ever
tote i sweet, rodud aud fall-ths song
delightful bed ties, 80 vl
'ubhles and 4 lie not-s and LONG siivsrs
nils ard Whistles. Not May Of these
inc birds come TO this country. What
sas tie best one | ever imported A
~ bird for toe SICK da0Reter Of one OF
,ar Murray Hui milli0uairss. = 81. An
irsAsoerg canary, that had been Taught
10 whistle aB opeTa ar. tiny music
box accompanied him. set 90 the air be
asd learned. When he landed here after
tao week sea voyage be had forgot
len his &. era. ] seciu ed him fram The
sounds OF bis fellow caJtives as once.
and PLAYED the music pox for him AZ |
Intervals Of three days ~ that time |
be al picked il Up again. His mistress
ieiis aae taat ones 10 . While she has to
rep2st she Operations. She teases him
asaaE Hs srNa - I
sariAtiaus on tie piano. TINS be con
siasts t~rtihle Insult. tie hisses ana
3aEters hts wings tin the performance
stops, and iheu gives his version Of the /
sir.